Chiropractic is very effective in the diagnosis and
treatment of over 95% of most neck pain. The
first and most important thing in the treatment of any
ailment, is proper diagnosis, correctly and accurately
identifying what the problem is and what caused the
problem in the first place. A Chiropractic Physician is
one of the most highly qualified doctors to do just that
examine and accurately diagnose your condition. With the
proper diagnosis, planning the best treatment for you so
that you are on the road to a quick and complete
recovery is much easier.
Your neck
contains muscles, tendons, ligaments as well as a
portion of your spine otherwise known as the cervical
spine. The neck begins at the base of the skull and
contains the seven small vertebrae known as Cervical one
through Cervical seven. Incredibly, the cervical spine
supports the full weight of your head, which is on
average about 12 pounds. While the cervical spine can
move your head in nearly every direction, this
flexibility makes the neck very susceptible to pain and
injury.
The neck's susceptibility to injury is due in part to
what is known as biomechanics. Activities and events
that affect cervical biomechanics include extended
sitting, repetitive movement, accidents, falls and blows
to the body or head, normal aging, and everyday wear and
tear. Neck pain can be very bothersome, and it can have
a variety of causes.
Neck pain can result from a variety of causes,
ranging from overuse injuries and whiplash to diseases
such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, disc pain
and inflammation, infection and meningitis.
Overuse, such as too many hours hunched over a
steering wheel, often triggers muscle strains. Neck
muscles, particularly those in the back of your neck,
become fatigued and eventually strained. When you
overuse your neck muscles repeatedly, chronic pain can
develop. Even such minor things as reading in bed or
gritting your teeth can strain neck muscles. Properly
identifying this condition and the causes in your
specific case leads your doctor to choose the right
treatment, therapies, exercise and ergonomic
recommendations for you.
Just like all the other joints in your body, your
neck joints tend to experience wear and tear. These
conditions can vary with age, occupation, past history
of injuries, all which can cause osteoarthritis in your
neck. These conditions tend to affect two main types of
joints in the neck. Facet joints and disc joints are
both possible sources of your neck pain. Proper
treatment including correct postural training and
positioning, stretching, Chiropractic adjustment
including soft tissue treatments and physiotherapy are
all very effective in treating the vast majority of
these conditions.
A variety of problems in your neck's vertebrae can
reduce the amount of space available for nerves to
branch out from the spinal cord. Examples include:
- Stiffened disks. The cushioning disks between your
vertebrae may be injured or become dry and stiff,
narrowing the spaces in your spinal column where the
nerves exit. Proper treatments to enhance improved
range of motion and decrease pain and spasm all go a
long way in treating this chronic condtion. Gentle
traction or spinal decompression therapy can both be
quite helpful in treating this as well.
- Herniated disks. This occurs when the inner
gel-like material of a disk protrudes through the
disk's tougher outer covering. The protrusion can
press on nerves exiting the spinal column. This could
cause arm pain and weakness as well as pain in the
muscles and neck itself. Traction and Spinal
Decompression Therapy again can actually improve the
spacing and flexibility of discs as well as help discs
heal and reduce the protrusion without surgery.
- Bone spurs. Arthritic joints in your neck can
develop bony growths that may press on nerves. Spurs
generally develop as part of the process or condition,
osteoarthritis.
- Spinal stenosis causes the small nerve passageways
in the vertebrae to narrow, compressing and trapping
nerve roots. Stenosis may cause neck, shoulder, and
arm pain, as well as numbness, when these nerves are
unable to function normally.
Motor vehicle accidents, particularly, Rear-end
collisions often result in whiplash injuries, which
occur when the head is jerked forward and then backward,
overstretching and tearing the soft tissues of the neck
beyond their limits. The sudden forced movement of the
head or neck in any direction and the resulting rebound
in the opposite direction is again known as whiplash.
The sudden whipping motion injures the surrounding and
supporting tissues of the neck and head. Muscles react
by tightening and contracting, creating muscle fatigue,
which can result in pain and stiffness. Severe whiplash
can also be associated with injury to the intervertebral
joints, discs, ligaments, muscles, and nerve roots. Car
accidents are the most common cause of whiplash
Neck pain can sometimes be caused by diseases, such
as:
- Rheumatoid arthritis. After the joints in the
hands and the feet, the joints in the neck are the
next most commonly affected by rheumatoid arthritis.
- Meningitis. This infectious disease causes the
lining of the brain and spinal cord to swell. One of
the most common symptoms of meningitis is neck pain
and stiffness.
- Cancer. Rarely, neck pain can be caused by
cancerous tumors in the spine. The cancer may have
traveled to the spine from other parts of your body.
Again, it is important to see a physician in order to
obtain a proper examination and diagnosis of your neck
pain. A Chiropractic Physician is a well trained
specialist and may be consulted to help get you started
on the path back to pain reduction and improved
health.
During your visit, we will perform an examination in
order to locate the source and cause of your pain. We
will ask you questions about your current symptoms and
remedies you may have already tried. It is a very
important step to obtain answers to the following
questions:
- When did the pain start?
- What have you done for your neck pain?
- Does the pain radiate or travel to other parts of
your body?
- Does anything reduce the pain or make it worse?
We will also perform a physical and neurological
exams. In the physical exam, your doctor will observe
your posture, range of motion, and physical condition,
noting movement that causes pain. We also will palpate
or feel the area of your neck that is in pain. We will
note the features including neck curvature and
alignment, and feel for muscle spasm. A check of your
shoulder area is also in order. During the neurological
exam, your doctor will test your reflexes, muscle
strength, other nerve changes, and pain spread.
In some instances, we will advise and order that
certain tests be performed in order to help diagnose
your condition. We may also suggest and take an x-ray
that could can show narrowed disc space, fractures, bone
spurs, or arthritis. A computerized axial tomography
scan (a CT or CAT scan) or a magnetic resonance imaging
test (an MRI) can show bulging discs and herniations. If
nerve damage is suspected, your doctor may order a
special test called electromyography (an EMG) to measure
how quickly your nerves respond.
As Chiropractic Physicians, we are generally
considered conservative care doctors; Our scope of
practice does not include the direct use of drugs or
surgery. If we determine as your chiropractor that your
diagnoses is in our professional opinion a condition
outside of our conservative scope, we will consult with
you and refer you to the appropriate medical physician
or specialist. We may also ask for permission to inform
your family physician of the care you are receiving to
ensure that your chiropractic care and medical care are
properly coordinated.
A neck adjustment (also known as a cervical
manipulation) is a precise procedure applied to the
joints of the neck, usually by hand. A neck adjustment
works to improve the mobility of the spine and to
restore range of motion; it can also increase movement
of the adjoining muscles. Patients typically notice an
improved ability to turn and tilt the head, and a
reduction of pain, soreness, and stiffness.
As your treating Chiropractic doctor, we will develop
a program of care that may combine more than one type of
treatment, depending on your personal needs. In addition
to manipulation, the treatment plan may include
mobilization, massage or rehabilitative exercises,
Physiotherapy or something else.
One of the most recent reviews of scientific
literature found evidence that patients with chronic
neck pain enrolled in clinical trials reported
significant improvement following chiropractic spinal
manipulation.
As part of the literature review, published in the
March/April 2007 issue of the Journal of Manipulative
and Physiological Therapeutics, the researchers reviewed
nine previously published trials and found high-quality
evidence that patients with chronic neck pain showed
significant pain-level improvements following spinal
manipulation. No trial group was reported as having
remained unchanged, and all groups showed positive
changes up to 12 weeks post-treatment. |
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